European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 26, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Mans invent transportation there s always Commerce that follows. I Don t see Why space Joseph p. Allen complement rather than rival the. Sarger Nasa vision. The Mam difference Between Hie Worlat Konsis Hal lha Industrial space facility is meant primarily or machines rather than people. Shuttle Asir Nauls would visit every six months or Solo lend Experiment land Ihen leave the station to work on i sown. According 1a Allen i he station is designed to be a Bridge Balwen Ihry current capabilities of the shuttle and the future goals of the Nasa space station. It would have Small instrument Rochers identical to the shuttle s As Well As Large equipment Racks compatible with the Tig Nasa Lalion. Thus it could accommodate Industrial users geared to working with Slan daid Nasa hardware. In addition. Congress sees the Small station being a Boon id Nasa itself. Before Christmas ii said the facility May represent a viable interim approach leading id the efficient and effective development and Lessing of Earl space station the main module of the station. 35 feet Long and 14 s feet wide would hold shows of individual experiments Lor private and government customers. The facility s ammo Hong array of solar panels would produce 10,800 Wal is of electricity Lor its experiments. In contrast. The soviet Mth space station which does much processing of novel materials produces 9,000 to 10.000 Watts Industrial demand for the proposed station is Curlain. Its creators say they no o that a Nasa meeting last year on commercial uses of its proposed station attracted 141 companies. To stimulated i Lorest. And now we can t a Nasa Oli Ocial recently told aviation week & space technology a Trade Magazine. In space the main attraction Foi Industry is me Lack of Gravity fluids that would separate on Earth because of differences in density do not in a weightless environment. And the phenomenon of Tonu Clion where warm currents Rise As Cooter denser ones sink is eliminated in space. Moreover processing containers can sometimes be dispensed with As Well and with them the problems of contamination. Fluids loafing weight Essly in space can easily be positioned with Low level acoustic or electromagnetic forces. The novel properties of weightlessness Hava already been investigated by companies that sent up experiments on tha 24 shuttle lights prior to the challenger disaster iwo years ago. Indeed Many of these companies Are clamouring for renewed Access to oium whenever humans invent . There s always some Type of Commerce Hal follows said alien. "1 Don t sea Why space should to any experts say space processing holds particular Promise for commercial production of extremely Puie semiconductors inc chips responsible for advances in computer and electronic technology. Chips manufactured in space Promise id be faster More reliable and cooler while operating. At least one company Micro Gravity research associates inc. Of Coral Gables. Fla., wants to grow space crystals of a cum arsenide an advanced semiconductor seen As important for the perfection of supercomputers thai can perform billions of operations per second. In general growing crystals is easier in the weightlessness of space. On Early. Convection currents disrupt Crystal formation causing irregularities and containers can introduce impurities. Among other companies the Minnesota mining and manufacturing company has investigated growing crystals in space. One Experiment focused " on the crystallisation of urea which is seen As having possible applications in Liber optics and pharmaceuticals. 1 we re very interested in Access to space said Mark Fenner a spokesman Tor 3m. The proposed Lalion is a potential Opportunity for us he said at this Point we re eager to investigate any door Hal he noted inc company is signed up to Fly experiments on 62 space shuttle flights weightlessness is Good not Only for putting materials together but a so for taking them apart. In particular a process known As electrophoresis is in chanced in space allowing efficient production of very Puie pharmaceutical products from organic compounds and living cells in solution. Electrophoresis works when a Complex solution is put through an Al Olric Field its components separating to the positive or negative poles of that Field depending an Subtle differences in their electrical charges. On Eaux Large scale is limited by Gravity which among other things can interfere Wilh the movement of components reducing purity. But no such limits apply in space where Mcdonnell Douglas and Johnson & Johnson among other companies have investigated continuous flow for the production of rare drugs hormones and enzymes according of its designers the Industrial space Faciey is Beller for some of these Industrial Matt a Figot Chatt exe Eutura of spice industries inc., with Model Ofero Pofit space station. Applications than inc shuttle or proposed Nasa station since its Lack of a Lull Lime Crew Means there will be in Wei human generated oils and vibrations to upset delicate processes. Nasa officials lend to disagree saying most Industrial experiments in space need frequent attention by skilled astronauts still other experts say inc whole Field is too Young to yet determine the Best mix of Man and machine. It Industrial demand proves great the space station would be easy to expand its designers say the modules can be joined Side by Side Wilh connecting ports through which astronauts can move. As Many As six modules can be linked without loss of electrical Power because of solar panels overlapping one another. Instead the panels Are sufficiently movable to avoid casting shadows. Whal you be got Here is a tinker toy Sel Allen said you can build some wonderful and interesting Kislers " moreover in the void of space the outside of inc modules have attachment Points that could hold Scie Lilic instruments g probe the heavens. What we be got is a stable platform hat has electrical Power Allen said from there it s a matter of using your imagination " for a Price
